Wishing for Love
by lalalei
Summary: Mrs. O'Malley has run her orphanage for a long time, but poor PJ has yet to be adopted. One night, she learns through the Wishing Star of PJ's destiny to save Twinkle Town with the power of love...but not what the magic's price might be. Based on the PJ Sparkles cartoon.


Kaitlyn O'Malley knew from an early age that she wanted to help children, especially those without parents. After finishing her schooling, she came into possession of a run-down orphanage near a small farm. With a little help and a lot of love, O'Malley's Home for Orphans soon opened its doors and welcomed any child in need. The work wasn't always easy, but the smiling faces of the children as they were adopted by loving parents made it all worth it. Over time, O'Malley kept records of the children that had left, checking in on them now and then, and it warmed her heart greatly to see that all of them were doing well.

She just wished she could help young PJ in the same manner. Of all of her charges, PJ had been there the longest. The orphanage was all she'd ever known, having been taken in as a toddler too young to remember those who had given her life and with no last name to call her own. Over the years PJ had made many friends in the other orphans, but to Mrs. O'Malley's dismay, her loving and generous heart—almost too big for her small frame—had never resulted in an adoption. Instead her friends had gone home, and PJ was left alone.

Despite this, she never tried to stop making friends, but Mrs. O'Malley recognized all too well the lingering heartache left behind when a friend disappeared. It wasn't all bad, though. PJ's closest and most loyal friend was an old horse named Blaze, left over from the small farmhouse. Some of the other orphans, bless their hearts, had considered him an old nag, but to PJ he was beautiful, and Blaze's loving, tender gaze confirmed she was right. He always let her ride him and nuzzled into her at feeding and brushing time, and soon Mrs. O'Malley found herself "forgetting" to lock the stable doors on clear nights. PJ seemed to thrive at night, whether it was the cool air, the endless fields of grass, or—most likely of all—wishing on the first star of the evening.

The old tale of wishing on a star to make your dreams come true spoke to PJ like no other story O'Malley had told, and as the years went by, she found herself wishing too. PJ's wish was as innocent and heartbreaking as any she'd ever heard—simply for someone to love her—and yet it had gone unfulfilled. One night, when PJ was nine, O'Malley found herself waiting outside one night for a glimpse of the stars. At first light, she turned her eyes to the sky and clasped her hands.

"I wish," she breathed, "that PJ would find someone to love her as much as she loves others."

As soon as the words left her a brilliant glow filled the night sky, lighting up the fields and valleys below. O'Malley gasped in shock at the sudden brightness, but soon it settled into a blue, powerfully glowing star. Then, out of nowhere, she heard a female voice remarkably similar to her own.

"Your wish has been heard, as has PJ's," the voice said; O'Malley looked for a source, but couldn't find one until she looked up at the star itself.

"Oh my word," she cried. "Who…what are you?"

"I am the Wishing Star, and I have shone for many nights upon PJ, waiting for the right moment to grant her wish. That time," the Star said gently, "draws near at last."

O'Malley's face broke into a smile. "Will she finally be adopted at last? Oh, I wish I could tell her the wonderful news!"

The Wishing Star seemed to smile back, winking in and out like a shake of the head. "Not exactly. PJ has an extraordinary fate ahead of her. I believe her tremendous love for all, nurtured within your orphanage, is the key to saving Twinkle Town."

"Twinkle Town," O'Malley repeated. "I've never heard of such a place, but if anyone can help it, PJ can. What is it like?"

"Close your eyes and I will show you," the Wishing Star said, and O'Malley did as instructed. She felt something settle softly on her head, opening her eyes briefly to see it was a glowing pink crown. Then Mrs. O'Malley closed her eyes once more and waited. Images and feelings began to flow into her mind, and soon she saw Twinkle Town for herself.

It was a dark, cold, lonely place full of misery and despair. The houses and buildings were in horrible disrepair, as if they'd never been attended to since Twinkle Town came to be. Litter and garbage covered the streets and filled the air with a stench that seemed to cling to every street corner, and the sun never shone at all, casting the town in perpetual darkness. From high up on a hill, a gloomy castle stood, and O'Malley soon saw what caused the problem, or at least made it worse—a wicked, cackling couple named The Cloak and Betty, who reveled in spreading filth and unhappiness. They were the only adults in Twinkle Town, and O'Malley could tell just from seeing them that they held no love for children at all, only for themselves and their own selfish desires.

Mrs. O'Malley's heart hurt on seeing the sorry state of the town, but seeing the children broke her heart. They lived in quaking fear, not only of the Cloak and Betty's wrath, but that this would be all they'd ever know—a loveless, miserable existence in a town wrapped in darkness. Yet, even now, they had not given up hope. She watched as the children wished, just like PJ had, for someone to love them, and the vision faded away as the crown lifted from her head and rose into the night sky, becoming part of the Wishing Star once more.

"I wish I could help those children as well," she finally said, "but I know _my_ children need me here. Will PJ really be able to help them?"

The Wishing Star glowed more brightly. "The light of every star children ever wished upon created Twinkle Town, and in the world of magic, love is the strongest magic of all. I know PJ's love is strong enough to fill every child in Twinkle Town's heart with light and love."

Mrs. O'Malley nodded, though a knot of worry began to grow in her stomach. "I'm very grateful PJ would be able to help those poor children. And yet, I'm sure she would wish to help even more children on Earth in the same way. PJ has always been the type to help others, no matter who or where they are."

The Wishing Star twinkled as she considered it. "PJ's boundless love is what will help her wish come true, and theirs. If she's willing, I'm sure she'll find a way to help children on Earth as well."

O'Malley smiled warmly at the thought, and when she next spoke her voice was resigned. "…How long will I have with her before she leaves?"

"As much time as you both need," the Star said simply, and the orphanage director nodded. A wind picked up, and she shivered, suddenly cognizant of the time and the dwindling temperature outside.

"Thank you dearly for granting my wish," O'Malley said. "I had better get back before the orphans worry about me. But before I go…"

The Star waited patiently.

"Will PJ be all right? That nasty woman and that horrid man in Twinkle Town would surely hate her arrival, especially if she helped the children."

The Wishing Star seemed sad at the thought. "That I cannot say. But if PJ's warm heart is any indication, others will love her in the same manner. I'm sure she'll find a way to overcome anything they might do."

"Then goodbye," Mrs. O'Malley said, "and thank you once again."

The orphanage director's heart was light as she made her way indoors to help those who were still awake into bed, but the Wishing Star's heart was heavy with worry as she watched over the land.

There was one thing she hadn't told Mrs. O'Malley, for the implications were terrifying.

There was one catch to the magic that the Wishing Star could not remove no matter how she tried.

Whoever gained the powers of magic—the power to use love to light up empty hearts and grant wishes—would _live_ on love and die without it. With the hateful Cloak and Betty around, the Star couldn't assuage her own worries whether PJ would be fine, and it made a twisted sort of sense for hatred to be a toxin to those who loved freely.

It was too much to bear for a child, let alone an adult, but if PJ's wish was never granted, she would suffer just as much as the children of Twinkle Town. For her sake, and the others, she had to bear the burden of her wish as much as the joys and discovery.

Hopefully, such a clause would never come into play.

Hopefully, even if it did, PJ would be fine.

Hopefully.

In the end, the Wishing Star made a wish of her own—that no matter what happened, PJ would see things through and her heart would always be filled with light and love.

She hoped her wish would, somehow, be granted.


End file.
